Rebecca Zahau's Body to Be Exhumed For New Autopsy; Family Doesn't Buy Cops' Findings That Death Was Suicide

​The body of Rebecca Zahau, girlfriend of Jonah Shacknai, CEO of Scottsdale-based pharmaceutical company Medicis, will be exhumed so a private pathologist can conduct a second autopsy to try to determine whether her bizarre death at a California mansion was a suicide or a homicide.

Police in San Diego ruled Zahau's strange hanging death a suicide last month, but the 32-year-old's family doesn't believe she could have killed herself and has asked Pennsylvania-based pathologist, Dr. Cyril Wecht, to conduct a second autopsy, despite the California Attorney General's decision not to review the case.

Zahau's body was found by Shacknai's brother in July, just days after the CEO's son, Max, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after falling down a flight of stairs in the mansion. Zahau was caring for the boy at the time of the fall.

Max Shacknai later died from his injuries. Police suspect Zahau killed herself because she felt guilty over Max's death.

"Were these deaths the result of criminal conduct? Was Max's death a homicide? The answer is no," San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said at a press conference last month. "It was a tragic accident. Was Rebecca's death a homicide? Again the answer is no. It was a suicide ... These deaths were not the result of any criminal acts."

Despite the ruling, Zahau's apparent suicide remains controversial for a lot of reasons, especially because her body was found with her hands and feet bound behind her back, naked, and hanging from a balcony.

Wecht already has reviewed the case and found evidence that, he claims, shows Zahau couldn't have killed herself.

"She has subgaleal hemorrhages; those are hemorrhages on the undersurface of the scalp. I see no reason why she should have those. You get those when your head strikes something or is struck by something," Wecht found last month.

Brain hemorrhaging could have happened when Zahau was cut down from the balcony where she was found hanging -- her head may have been hit -- but it wouldn't have happened in four different places in the brain, Wecht concludes.

"Even if [her] scalp hit bushes, that kind of impact would not produce subgaleal hemorrhage," Wecht continues. "We're talking about contusions on the top of the head. So, even as the body is falling down -- let's say there are branches -- how do you get bruises on the top of the head as the body is falling vertically downward?"

According to the Associated Press, Zahau's body could be exhumed as early as today.

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to those people who feel a need to disparage anyone who questions the sheriff investigation of rebecca zahau,should read the following article ( please click the link) it would also be instructive for all the honest cops of america to digest how one cop stood his ground, got fired from his job but kept the oath he took when he first became an officer.articles.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html...

to those people who feel a need to disparage anyone who questions the sheriff investigation of rebecca zahau,should read the following article ( please click the link) it would also be instructive for all the honest cops of america to digest how one cop stood his ground, got fired from his job but kept the oath he took when he first became an officer.articles.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html...

More than the murder vs suicide story in Coronado. How about the disgusting treatment of Rebecca during the 12+ hours waiting for the medicalexaminer to make an appearance. LE couldn't find it upon themselves to go to the hardware store and purchase a pop up canopy to cover her with. This part of the story is so difficult to stomach-how does LE regain any public trust and respect after doing this to her. God help us all if those responsible for this third world decision go unpunished.

All Jonah had to do is show some general concern....never questioned suicide when brother Adam TEXT him at 6:48 am nor d\id he offer a reward for the arrest and conviction of Rebecca's killer.Hey Jonah....how is it that over 90% of people that have followed this case believe your girlfriend of 2 years was murdered as does her family yet you readily accepted suicide.... along with all the paid trolls that post in various websites that were hired by your Los Angeles PF Firm months ago.

That's because they knew Rebecca was unstable. It was no shock to anyone that she would commit suicide. What kind of concern do you want him to show to the woman who was responsible for the death of his baby son?